INSTITUTE, W. Va. – The West Virginia State University softball team finished off a long weekend with two wins against Mountain East opponent Concord University on Sunday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets won the first game in walk-off fashion, 4-3, then shutout the Mountain Lions, 3-0.
 
Postgame Records:
WVSU: 7-5 (4-0 MEC)
Concord: 1-9 (1-3 MEC)
 
Game 1: WVSU 4, CU 3 Final
 
The Yellow Jackets would score a run in the first inning when Madison Rafuson drove a single to left center field and scored Paige Scruggs. A wild pitch later put Emma Ruth on third and Rafuson on second, but State left the bases loaded after a flyout. Kasey Murphy sat her first 10 batters back down but allowed a single and two walks to load the bases in the fourth. Concord scored only one run in the frame. Murphy started the fifth inning but couldn't record any outs, making way for Emily Moore. The two runners Murphy allowed eventually scored to make it 3-1 Mountain Lions. Murphy made up for it in a big way in the sixth, jacking a solo shot to left center field to pull the Jackets within one run. Concord was held scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings. A ground out, a walk and a fly out set the stage for Emma Ruth to come up with two outs. She would not disappoint the Yellow Jacket faithful as she took Laura Thompson deep to left center to complete the walk-off win. Emilee Walker recorded the win for West Virginia State.
 
Game 2: WVSU 3, CU 0 Final

Mountain East Player of the Week, Autumn Thompson started game two for West Virginia State while Cartney Schoolcraft opposed her for the Mountain Lions. The two pitchers were in the midst of a pitcher's duel through the first four and a half innings, with Thompson allowing only two runners and Schoolcraft allowing three. Only Danielle Lebsock for the Jackets got to second base during the stretch. Lindsey Phares started the fifth inning with a single down the left field line. Autumn Thompson followed it up with a double that got over the head of the Concord center fielder, but Phares was thrown out trying to score from first base. Thompson advanced to third on the throw to the plate and scored when the next pitch slipped through the glove of Concord catcher Makiyah Pulliam. That would be all that West Virginia State would need, but Paige Scruggs would tack on two more when she sent a 2-1 offering from Schoolcraft over the right center field wall. Concord would go three up and three down in the final frame, giving Thompson her third win of the year and first complete game shutout.
 
Up Next: The Yellow Jackets will spend the upcoming weekend in the Northern Panhandle when they take on West Liberty (7-5, 3-1 MEC) on Saturday and Wheeling University (3-9, 2-2 MEC) on Sunday.